The BBC are doing a ‘day of cuts’, and to highlight it they’ve released an index of resilience to economic shocks. The results are familiar: northern cities such as Middlesbrough, and those in the Midlands such as Stoke and Mansfield are vulnerable. Affluent commuter towns near London, such as Elmbridge in Surrey and St Albans have done well.

HR Review cite a recent report from Ceridian that confidence and trust in employers has been significantly eroded during the recession. The report shows employees have experienced frozen pay (37%), changes to roles as a result of reorganisation (12%), longer working hours (44%) and challenges to work life balance (40%).

The news that World No 2 golfer Phil Mickelson has been diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis brings into sharp relief the importance of the early diagnosis and treatment of inflammatory conditions if people are to stand the best chance of living normal lives and staying in work.

Last week the DWP released figures about the number of new claimants who have been found fit for work under the new Work Capability Assessment scheme. The assessments place claimants into three groups: support group, work-related activity group and fit for work. Those who are found fit for work are no longer eligible for employment and support allowance.

Over the next ten years job growth in both the US and UK economies will be driven by an expansion in knowledge intensive services and care related jobs. But there is a striking rise in the predicted number of managerial jobs that will be created in the UK. Given that productivity in the US is 22% higher than the UK , this begs the question - what are all these managers doing?